


have yourself a merry little christmas, now

by emisgolden



Category: Harry Styles - Fandom, Larry Stylinson - Fandom, Louis Tomlinson - Fandom, One Direction
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Presents, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:41:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28296930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emisgolden/pseuds/emisgolden
Summary: Wherein it’s Christmas and Louis wishes for a puppy and Harry wishes for a kitten and everything is warm and dazzling and smells like gingerbread.
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, Larry Stylinson
Comments: 1
Kudos: 26





	have yourself a merry little christmas, now

December 23, 9:46pm London, England 

Louis Tomlinson has always been proper shit at keeping secrets. He’s terrible at keeping his mouth shut in any and all ways, actually, and him and everyone around him knows it. He doesn’t do it maliciously, of course, he was just a born blabbermouth, as he likes to say. Bad at biting his tongue. But this secret in particular was a good secret, a _Christmas_ secret, and it only needed to be kept another two days, so surely he could manage it.

This secret is named Eloise, and she’s a fuzzy headed teeny little tortoiseshell kitten. Louis picked her up from the shelter this afternoon after dropping Harry off at the airport, and she’s Harry’s Christmas present from him. Her meows are the tiniest ever, she is _perfect_ , and she had just fallen asleep in Louis’ lap with a milk stain around her mouth when his phone began to ring. Louis carefully tucks his phone between his cheek and his shoulder, as to not disturb the sleeping beauty, when Harry’s soft, jet lagged voice greeted him.

“Hi, love.”

Louis smiles, just like he does every time.

“Hey to you too. How was your flight?"

Harry groans into the phone and Louis snickers a little. “That bad, huh?”

“I mean, it wasn’t my favorite. There was turbulence and a set of newborn twins. They were cute, but proper loud. Wish you were here. The bed in this hotel is too big for just me.”

“So is the couch. It’s just me here too, obviously.” Louis says unconvincingly, watching Eloise’s spotted belly rhythmically rise and fall against the fabric of his Adidas track pants. He strokes her downy back with the edge of his thumb and remembers, “Hey, this time tomorrow you’ll be here with me. And we’ll have cocoa and we can watch It’s a Wonderful Life and we can fall asleep on the couch waiting for Santa.”

“Yeah?” asks Harry inquisitively, prompting Louis to carry on with his festive little list.

“Yeah. and we can wear our matching Snoopy Christmas pajamas and eat birthday cake and positively roast wrapped in quilts in front of the fire.” Louis says, glancing at the fireplace bustling in front of him beneath the paused TV.

“Sounds so nice Lou. I hate New York.”

“No, you don’t.”

“Okay, maybe not. But I hate this hotel room and I hate that it’s nearly your birthday and it’s almost bloody Christmas and you’re in London and I’m here.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow, love.”

“Yeah. Tomorrow. Your birthday. My baby’s birthday. That’s so soon. Soon. See you soon…” Harry yawns like a baby lion into the phone. Not unlike Eloise does. They have that in common. Louis can hardly contain himself.

“Harry, love, you need to sleep.”

“Mmmm.”

“See you tomorrow love. I love you. Merry Christmas eve-eve!”

“Ha. Eve-eve. And birthday-eve! I love you too, my Louis. So much, so so so much. Goodnight.” says Harry, sleepily, and Louis’ heart flutters a bit.

“Night, love.”

He hangs up the phone and then clutches it to his chest for a moment, savoring the ever so endearing way Harry says love and Louis. He then sets his phone down and presses play on Elf and delicately pats the orange spot on Eloise’s head.

December 24th, 8:37am

Eloise slept in a cardboard box filled with scraps of blankets on the floor next to Louis and Harry’s bed. When Louis woke up, he looked down to see her velvety little head poking out of the box, and he smiled. “Well, good morning to you, too. Let’s get you some breakfast.” She meows in agreement, so he scoops her up and begins the trek downstairs.

Harry’s flight wouldn’t come in until around 1pm, so Louis and Eloise get to spend Christmas Eve morning together before he has to drop her off for the afternoon and night at his very sweet, very loud, and very Irish neighbor’s house in order to keep the surprise for Christmas morning. Niall Horan was extremely glad to oblige in such a favor, and had even taken to referring to himself as “Uncle Niall” in relation to the kitten. Louis feels confident that she will be in good hands, and also knows that this was probably the first of many kitty sleepovers next door.

Louis turns on _Last Christmas_ by Wham! and dances around the kitchen as he puts two pieces of bread in the toaster for himself and opens a tin of foul smelling kitten food for Eloise. He lets her eat at the kitchen table with him as he slathers butter thickly onto his toast, and they stare at each other across the table, both happily eating their breakfast as Louis taps his foot to the music. He was beginning to get proper giddy about his birthday and seeing Harry so soon and Christmas being tomorrow. “He’s going to love you so much, you know.” Louis says to Eloise, and she glances up from her bowl and licks her lips in wordless response before looking back down to return to her tuna. Louis resists every urge he has to snap a picture of her to send to Harry.

After cleaning up their breakfast, Louis takes a warm, steaming shower with peppermint soap that Eloise waited anxiously outside of. Every few minutes, Louis opens the shower curtain to check on her, only to find her big brown eyes looking right up at him as she sits patiently on his fluffy pink bathmat. He had never considered himself a cat person per say, but Eloise was threatening to change that. He was always more of a dog person, still holding out hope that he and Harry would someday get a proper big dog, or two, or three. Harry, however, had not so subtly hinted at his desire for a cat through a series of gifs and Petfinder links over the past few months, hence Eloise being the perfect gift. Louis couldn’t wait to see Harry’s face light up like Christmas tree lights when he first gets to see her on Christmas morning. Louis loves his boy, and would do anything for that goofy grin of Harry’s.

...

“I’ve got it, I’ve got it, Tomlinson. What’s 24 hours with this precious little cutie to me?” Niall says through a toothy smile, holding Eloise up to his face, her body hanging not unlike a Slinky. She seems surprisingly unbothered, and mews in response to the blond boy.

“You and I are going to be good friends, we are. Yes we are!” coos Niall in all of his Irish glory. Louis laughs.

“Just ring me if she needs anything! Not like I know anymore than you do. It’s only my second day of kitty fatherhood.” admits Louis.

“Hey, there’s not much to it, I’m sure. You feed them, they shit, they sleep. Just like a baby, I reckon! Except babies don’t purr and kittens don’t cry.” says Niall, with unearned confidence, and Louis shrugs because he is right, after all. Louis knows babies pretty well from his parade of younger siblings, and admittedly there isn’t that much more to them than what Niall listed.

After Niall waves goodbye for Eloise through the window by the front door by shaking her paw gently, Louis heads to the airport for Harry. Harry had had a pretty tumultuous month, bouncing from continent to continent whenever duty called. Work’s a bitch, truly, and Louis had begun to really hate his solo nights in London. But in a few minutes he would be home with Harry for at least two weeks, and Louis is so, so excited. While at a red light, _Blue Christmas_ by Elvis Presley stopped abruptly as Harry’s call came in to tell him that the plane had landed. Harry’s voice is downy soft as ever, and Louis can’t wait til he hears it in person.

Louis double parks outside of Harry’s terminal and sets a queue of Harry’s favorite Christmas songs as he impatiently bounces his leg. Soon enough, Harry comes through the sliding doors, breathing a cloud of breath into the cold and heading toward the car. He’s in his favorite plane outfit, a thick red hoodie with a coat over it and gray sweatpants clad with his rotting but beloved white Vans. Louis makes a mental note to himself to get Harry new Vans next Christmas, and pops the trunk so Harry can toss in his duffle bag.

“Louis! Happy birthday!” greets Harry, grinning as he slides anything but gracefully into the passenger seat. He leans toward Louis, cupping his cheek and kissing him sweetly. Louis savors the kiss like a sweet wine even though he knows there are plenty more to come. “I missed you so much Lou.” he says, stroking Louis’ pink cheek with his leather glove covered finger, before kissing him again, somehow even sweeter than the first.

“Oi, we’re holding up traffic, love.”

“Don’t care.” And Louis doesn’t either.

Louis drives them home with his left hand on the steering wheel, right hand in Harry’s (that are now ungloved). Louis can feel as Harry twiddles his fingers in beat with Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, the Brenda Lee version, of course, Louis knows he would be absolutely crucified if he chose any other, and Louis melts a little. As Louis pulls into the driveway, Harry scowls down at his phone, smashing an angry reply to a text Louis can’t quite make out.

“What’s wrong, H?” “Ugh. Lou, I’m sorry, but your birthday present won’t be here ‘til Christmas now.”

“It’s okay. I have you here.” Harry cracks a smile, and they head into the house.

December 24th, 9:58pm

Louis and Harry are slow dancing by the Christmas tree to the Beach Boys’ Christmas album. Harry has on a Santa hat, and he smells like gingerbread and oaky cologne. Louis is wearing a navy blue fleece Christmas jumper that Harry brought back from New York. It has Rudolph on it, and has a contraption in it that lights up his nose. Louis brushes his cheek against Harry’s, and Harry tightens his grasp around Louis’ waist. They sway by the tree, and Harry begins to sing the words into Louis’ neck,

_“I’ll be home for Christmas, you can plan on me._

_Please have snow and mistletoe, and presents by the tree.”_

They are rudely interrupted by the oven timer, letting them know Louis’ cake is done, and so they head into the kitchen. Louis sits at the island as Harry takes the cake out of the oven with big, red, obnoxious oven mitts, and Louis gets a text from Niall. It’s a selfie of Niall and Eloise in matching Christmas sweaters. Louis is unable to stifle his laugh.

“What’s so funny, love?” Harry asks, teasing, setting the chocolate cake down on a cooking rack and flinging off the oven mitts.

“Uh, nothing. Something my sister said.”

“What did she say?”

“Uhhh…”

And then Harry’s phone begins to ring and he steps begrudgingly into the other room. Saved by the bell. And damn, the cake smells lovely. Louis and Harry take a long, steaming peppermint shower together as the cake cools. After, as Louis sits on their king bed putting on red and green socks, he watches Harry change into his pajamas, positively admiring him. His lips are swollen from kisses, and tender love bites are revealing themselves on his neck and he looks fresh and clean and inviting. His wet hair is starting to curl itself again at the ends, and Louis wants to wrap the ringlets around his fingers.

“C’mere” he says, and Harry obliges, jumping onto the bed and leaning over Louis as Louis lays back, his head crashing landing on a pillow. Harry smiles over him before grabbing a handful of Louis’ wet hair and leans in sweetly. They kiss, and kiss some more, and Harry smells so good and Louis genuinely couldn’t wish for anything else. Louis tugs at Harry’s curls gently, and Harry whimpers delicately in response, and fuck, Louis can hardly believe how lucky he is and how happy and safe and warm. Louis can just barely make out the beat from the record player downstairs, but he moves his body in rhythm with it as he brings Harry closer and closer. Louis’ lips are already starting to get sore, but he doesn’t care.

...

Later, after frosting the cake and singing happy birthday on Skype with Louis’ family and blowing out red and green candles, Harry and Louis are on the couch practically on top of each other watching It’s a Wonderful Life and eating their cake, just as Louis promised on the phone the night before. The fire is crackling, and Harry’s kisses taste like chocolate and buttercream, and Louis and Harry cry at the end of the movie just like they always do. When the movie ends and they’re too cozy on the couch to head upstairs, Harry turns the music back on, this time settling on the Bruce Springstein rendition of _Santa Claus is Coming to Town_. Harry stands in front of the fire with a candy cane microphone, and performs for Louis as he laughs from the couch.

_“It's all cold down along the beach_

_The wind's whipping down the boardwalk_

_Hey band! (Yeah? Hey, babe!)_

_You guys know what time of year it is? (Yeah!)_

_What time, huh? What? (Christmas time!)_

_What? (Christmas time!)_

_Oh, Christmas time!_

_You guys all, you guys all been good and practicing real hard?_

_Yeah? Clarence, you been, you been rehearsing real hard now,_

_So Santa'll bring you a new saxophone, right?_

_Everybody out there been good, or what? Oh, that's not many, not many, you guys are in trouble out here!_

_Come on…”_

Harry’s eyes sparkle in the Christmas tree lights, and his Springstein impression is surprisingly impeccable, and Louis is so in love.

After Harry falls asleep, Louis sneaks downstairs to fill his stocking with cat toys and Oreos.

December 25th, 9:23am

Louis wakes up to Harry’s face nuzzled into his chest. He sighs, gently runs his fingers through Harry’s hair, and instinctively looks over at the window. And _holy shit, it snowed, he had never thought to check the weather, and holy fuck, it SNOWED_. This Christmas already couldn’t have possibly be more perfect, and now it looks like a fucking Norman Rockwell painting outside. Louis almost wishes he could spend eternity in this moment, warm and happy with his boy’s curls in his fingers as snow falls delicately around them. But he’s so excited for what else the morning has coming that he can hardly contain himself. He can barely believe he’s made it this long without accidentally spilling the beans on Eloise, and he’s frankly pretty proud of himself.

After a few minutes, Harry’s eyes flutter open, and he grins, nuzzling himself even deeper in Louis’ chest. Louis’ heart does a backflip and then an entire olympic gymnastics routine.

“Good morning, suuuun.” Harry says, voice still drenched thickly with sleep. He looks up at Louis, and then strokes his cheek with his thumb. It’s warm and soft and Louis wants to kiss him so bad, so he does.

“Happy Christmas, Harry.” Louis whispers into Harry’s lips.

“Happy Christmas, Louis.”

...

Louis texts Niall a ten minute warning on Eloise’s arrival as he brews a pot of coffee, and Niall responds with a trio of emojis: a thumbs up, a cat with heart eyes, and a Christmas tree, which Louis takes as a probable yes. Harry whistles along to _Santa Baby_ by Eartha Kitt as he finishes cooking breakfast, gingerbread pancakes with a side of fresh strawberries and blueberries and glasses of eggnog topped with cinnamon. It’s always been their tradition to make breakfast before exchanging gifts so they can eat by the tree while watching The Grinch. They’re creatures of habit, Louis and Harry.

Harry disappears into the basement for a few minutes to ‘set up Louis’ present’, whatever that could mean, so Louis quickly meets Niall at the front door for the kitten swap.

“She was wonderful.” says Niall, holding Eloise up to his face, clad in a big red Christmas bow (which was a nice touch, Louis thinks).

“We made Christmas cookies, and sang jingle bells, and-”

“Niall, I’d love to hear about this later, but time is kind of of the essence right now, gotta go, sorry!” he scoops Eloise out of Niall’s arms and runs back inside, slamming the door in Niall’s face. He slides across the hardwood in his Christmas socks as he hurriedly places Eloise in the box of blankets that he had earlier hidden behind the tree. Just in time, he hears the basement door close behind Harry and he enters the room, smiling brightly. Harry looks remarkably stunning today, curls framing his face like a golden frame around a portrait of a prince. He’s wearing a cream sweater with a sprig of holly pinned to it, and dusty light blue jeans that are tight in all the right places and green socks with pictures of snowmen on them.

“I don’t see a present anywhere.” Harry teases, crossing his arms across his chest in faux dismay and rumpling his eyebrows.

“Look behind the tree, maybe.” teases Louis back. Harry walks behind the tree, and Louis bites his lip to hold in his excitement.

Of every reaction Louis expected, laughter was not one of them. Harry comes back, holding Eloise close to his chest, belly laughing.

“What’s so funny?” Louis asks, and Harry says nothing, simply kisses Eloise on the head and gently hands her to Louis, before wordlessly disappearing into the basement. Louis stands with his mouth agape, completely lost for words.

Harry returns with a puppy in his arms.

 _A fucking puppy._ A golden retriever to be exact, fluffy and precious with his tail wagging.

“Oh my god.” is all Louis can think to say.

“Yeah.” says Harry, smiling. “His name is Bentley.”

“Her name is Eloise.” Louis responds, gesturing to the kitten in his arms. They laugh again.

...

Luckily, Bentley and Eloise seem to like each other. Bentley sniffs her head, and Eloise meows back, and suddenly they’re properly introduced and playing with each other under the tree. Louis and Harry sit on the couch, Louis’ arm around Harry, admiring their two new kids like the proud parents they now are. Over the speakers, Wonderful Christmas Time by Paul McCartney plays. Louis kisses Harry’s cheek, and Harry puts his hand on Louis’ face to tilt it up for a real kiss, or two, or three. He tastes like gingerbread and maple syrup.

“Can’t believe I’m a father of two now.” says Harry, smirking and looking up at Louis with gentle green eyes. “Might already be ready for a third.” he continues.

“Oi, I think two is fine for now, eh?” responds Louis.

Bentley hops up onto the couch and lands in Louis’ lap, licking Louis’ hands with the endless energy only a golden retriever puppy has. Eloise paws at a Christmas ornament hanging from a low hanging branch, somersaults a few times, and then joins them on the couch. Harry is singing softly and Louis can’t wait to take Bentley outside for his first snow, and everything is so warm and merry and bright.

**epilogue**

December 25th, 7:58 pm, two years later

Louis is outside with Bentley in the sludgy December mud. Now 2 years old and 75 pounds, Bentley is running in circles in the yard chasing after a football Louis kicked, getting his Christmas zoomies out before a quiet night in. Louis looks in the window, fogging up the glass before wiping it off with a mitten to see clearer into the living room. Harry’s on the couch, Eloise asleep at his feet with their newborn swaddled in Christmas blankets resting in his arms. Their daughter, Delia, is two weeks old as of yesterday. She has big brown eyes and curly black hair and she is positively perfect.

Louis wipes the mud off of Bentley’s paws at the door, and takes off his shoes before the two of them enter the house, warm and smelling of firewood and pine needles and newborn baby. Harry looks up at Louis and smiles, before looking back down at Delia and continuing to sing to her. Bentley hops onto the couch, and Louis scoots him over to seat himself next to Harry. Harry hands Delia to Louis, and bends down to pick up Eloise, who is now bigger than Delia is. Louis kisses Delia’s head, and Harry squeezes Louis’ frozen hand, still warming up from being outside. Over the speakers plays Judy Garland’s _Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas_ , and Louis and Harry sing together, as they know all the words by heart.

_“Through the years we all will be together_

_If the fates allow_

_Hang a shining star upon the highest bough_

_And have yourself a merry little Christmas now.”_

**Author's Note:**

> HI! I wrote this in like two days so please forgive me. follow me on twitter lol @gold3ngolden <3


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